Learn Hardcore Greek: Η ξαδέρφη μου δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της, αλλά δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα. - My cousin female never lends her shoes, but she often borrows clothes from me.

Η ξαδέρφη μου δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της, αλλά δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα.

My cousin (female) never lends her shoes, but she often borrows clothes from me.

Breakdown of Η ξαδέρφη μου δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της, αλλά δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα.

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Questions & Answers about Η ξαδέρφη μου δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της, αλλά δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα.

Why is it η ξαδέρφη μου and not η μου ξαδέρφη for my cousin?

In Greek, the unstressed possessive pronouns (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους) almost always come after the noun:

η ξαδέρφη μου = my cousin
το σπίτι σου = your house

Putting μου before the noun (η μου ξαδέρφη) is wrong in modern everyday Greek (it sounds archaic or poetic at best).

So the normal pattern is:

article + noun + weak possessive pronoun
η ξαδέρφη μου, ο φίλος σου, τα παιδιά μας

What is the difference between δανείζει and δανείζεται?

These are two different voices of the same verb:

δανείζω (active): to lend
- δανείζει = she/he lends
δανείζομαι (middle/passive): to borrow
- δανείζεται = she/he borrows

So in the sentence:

δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της
= she never lends her shoes (to other people)
αλλά δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα
= but she often borrows clothes from me

Same root, different voices, just like Spanish prestar / prestarse, or like saying “lend” vs “borrow” in English.

Why do we need both δεν and ποτέ? Isn’t that a double negative?

Yes, it is a double negative by English standards, but in Greek that’s normal and correct.

δεν = not (the basic negation for verbs)
ποτέ = ever / never, depending on context

When ποτέ is used in a negative statement, it is almost always combined with δεν:

Δεν πηγαίνω ποτέ στο γυμναστήριο. = I never go to the gym.
Δεν τρώω ποτέ κρέας. = I never eat meat.

So:

η ξαδέρφη μου δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της
literally: my cousin not lends ever her shoes → my cousin never lends her shoes

Using ποτέ without δεν in such a sentence would be wrong in standard Greek.

Can ποτέ go at the beginning, like Ποτέ δεν δανείζει τα παπούτσια της?

Yes. Both word orders are possible:

Δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της.
Ποτέ δεν δανείζει τα παπούτσια της.

They mean the same thing (she never lends her shoes).

Ποτέ δεν… (putting ποτέ first) can sound a bit more emphatic, like English:

Never does she lend her shoes.

In everyday speech you’ll probably hear Δεν … ποτέ more often, but both are correct.

Why does τα παπούτσια της have an article, but ρούχα doesn’t?

This is about definiteness and specificity:

τα παπούτσια της = her shoes (specific, we know which shoes are hers)
→ article τα
- noun παπούτσια
  - possessive της
ρούχα = clothes in general (not specific items)
→ no article

In Greek:

We must use the article with a possessive construction like τα παπούτσια της, η τσάντα μου, το αυτοκίνητό του.
We can omit the article when we talk about things in general / non‑specific:
- αγοράζω ρούχα = I buy clothes (not specific)
- διαβάζω βιβλία = I read books (in general)

So the contrast is:

She never lends her specific shoes → τα παπούτσια της
She often borrows (some) clothes from me → ρούχα (non‑specific, generic).

What exactly does της mean in τα παπούτσια της?

Της here is the unstressed (weak) 3rd person singular feminine genitive pronoun, functioning like “her” in her shoes.

τα παπούτσια της = her shoes

Formally, it stands for:

τα παπούτσια της ξαδέρφης μου = my cousin’s shoes

But since της ξαδέρφης μου is obvious from context, Greek uses just the clitic της.

So structure is:

τα παπούτσια (the shoes) + της (belonging to her).

Why is it από εμένα instead of just από μένα or μου?

Greek has strong (stressed) and weak (unstressed) pronoun forms:

εγώ (I) → εμένα / μένα (me – strong) → μου (my / to me – weak)

In this sentence we have:

από εμένα = from me (strong form)
Very natural, slightly more emphatic: “from me.”

You can also say:

από μένα (shorter, very common in speech)
In many contexts: από μένα ≈ από εμένα (same meaning, just slightly less emphatic)

Using only μου after από doesn’t work:
✗ από μου is wrong in standard modern Greek.

So correct variants here:

δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα
δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από μένα

Why do we need από in δανείζεται ρούχα από εμένα?

Από means from.

The verb δανείζομαι (to borrow) typically uses this pattern:

δανείζομαι κάτι από κάποιον
= I borrow something from someone

So:

δανείζεται ρούχα = she borrows clothes (no source mentioned)
δανείζεται ρούχα από εμένα = she borrows clothes from me

The preposition από is needed to show who she borrows the clothes from.

Where do adverbs like ποτέ and συχνά usually go in a Greek sentence?

In Greek, frequency adverbs like ποτέ (never/ever), συχνά (often), πάντα (always) usually appear near the verb, typically after it:

δεν δανείζει ποτέ
δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα
πάντα μιλάει γρήγορα = he/she always speaks fast

They can sometimes be moved for emphasis (especially ποτέ, πάντα):

Ποτέ δεν δανείζει…
Πάντα μου τηλεφωνεί…

But the most neutral order is:

[verb] + [frequency adverb] + (object)
δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα, τρώει πάντα πρωινό, δεν βγαίνει ποτέ έξω.

What is the role of αλλά in the sentence? Could we use όμως or μα instead?

Αλλά is the standard conjunction for but / however:

δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της, αλλά δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα.

You could also say:

… δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της. Όμως δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα.
(όμως = however, yet; usually starts a new clause/sentence)
… δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της, μα δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα.
(μα = but; a bit more informal / literary depending on context)

In the single-sentence contrast exactly like in English “but,” αλλά is the most neutral and common choice.

Why is the article η used before ξαδέρφη? Do we always use an article with family members?

Here η is the definite article feminine nominative singular, agreeing with ξαδέρφη:

η ξαδέρφη = the (female) cousin

In Greek, when you say “my cousin”, the default pattern is:

η ξαδέρφη μου (with article)

So in practice, with possessives for people, especially family members, you usually see:

η μητέρα μου = my mother
ο πατέρας σου = your father
ο αδερφός του = his brother
η ξαδέρφη μου = my (female) cousin

Dropping the article (ξαδέρφη μου) is possible in some specific contexts, but article + noun + possessive is the normal, safest pattern.

What cases are used in the sentence (nominative, accusative, genitive)?

Breakdown:

Η ξαδέρφη μου
- η ξαδέρφη = nominative singular feminine (subject)
- μου = weak genitive (my)
δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της
- τα παπούτσια = accusative plural neuter (direct object)
- της = weak genitive (her)
αλλά δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα
- ρούχα = accusative plural neuter (direct object)
- από εμένα = preposition από
  - strong accusative εμένα (from me)

So you see the typical pattern:

subject in nominative (η ξαδέρφη)
direct objects in accusative (τα παπούτσια, ρούχα)
possessives and some complements in genitive (μου, της)

Why does Greek use the present tense here? Could it also mean “is always borrowing / is never lending”?

Yes. Greek present tense generally covers both:

simple present: she never lends / she often borrows
present continuous: she is always borrowing / she is never lending

So:

δεν δανείζει ποτέ τα παπούτσια της
δανείζεται συχνά ρούχα από εμένα

can be translated either as:

She never lends her shoes, but she often borrows clothes from me.
or, in a more descriptive sense:
She is never willing to lend her shoes, but she is always borrowing clothes from me.

Context decides which English form sounds better, but in Greek it’s the same present tense.

I’ve seen ξαδέρφη and ξαδέλφη. Which is correct?

Both forms exist:

ξαδέρφη
ξαδέλφη

They are variants of the same word, meaning female cousin.

ξαδέλφη is more traditional / formal (you will see it in dictionaries, more in writing).
ξαδέρφη is very common in everyday speech and in informal writing.

For a learner, using ξαδέρφη in conversation and ξαδέλφη in more formal or written contexts is a safe rule of thumb—but in practice, both are understood and widely used.